Vertical Empires - Post your build ideas here for discussion.

[Overkiller]

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[Thorvic]

Ok i'll get the ball rolling by signing up to do a Soviet Navy Yak-141 in operational scheme. Yeap a bit straight forward for me these days but i have been doing ships for a while and not sure i could knock out another P1216, P1214 or even HS-681 with in the time frame.

G

[Weaver]

Potential projects (note sure I'll get time for any of them though):

1. Gerry Anderson universe RAVTOL interceptor.

RAVTOL = Rocket Assisted Vertical Take-Off and Landing. Basically, it's carried on a huge tracked TEL vehicle which has an elevating rail in the middle of a landing pad. The aircraft itself has a Harrier-style engine in the middle and a kerosene/LOX rocket engine in the tail. LOX is carried in an external belly tank, kerosene in internal tanks and combined fuel and missile pods on the wingtips that look like giant Matra JL100s.

For take-off, it's elevated to 45 deg on the rail and takes off using rocket thrust plus jet nozzles at 45 deg., thus overcoming the MTO weight limit inherent in pure jet-lift VTO. Once it reaches altitude, it conducts the intercept using it's "missile pods" (i.e. pyrotechnics in the Matra pods) then returns to the vicinity of the TEL. It jettisons it's LOX tank and tip pods to get the weight down, and then lands vertically on the pad, the rail having been retracted. It's then re-fuelled and re-armed by automatic systems that load new pods onto it. The expended pods come down by parachute and are collected by one-man "sky-cycle" style helicopters launched from a support vehicle, to which they're returned for refuelling/reloading.

Model-wise, the aircraft would be a 1/72nd Starfighter with Harrier side-panels and intakes scabbed on, and 1/32nd Matra pods for the tip pods. The vehicle would be based on an 1/35th Leo II tank.


2. Westland Super-Belvedere.

This was originally going to be a radical upgrade of the Airfix kit, but I couldn't find a new front end that would mate with the egg-section fuselage, so reasoning that the fuselage section itself was something that needed fixing, I started again. The plan now is to use a 1/100th Plasticart Yak-24 with a 1/100th Skycrane cab widened and grafted to the front of it, the whole thing being scaleorama'd to 1/72nd. Engines will be in external pods made from pen caps, but will still be one forwards, one aft (on opposite sides). Configuration will be RAF-in Vietnam CSAR, to be eventually paired with a Sandy-roled Gannet on a display base.


3. Shorts Helivan.

For Patchwork World, this would be a Skyvan fuselage turned into a helicopter by the addition of two Huey rotors in Kaman "eggbeater" style. Engines would be pen-top pods on the former wing root positions. The tail fins would certaily be inverted and might be given extra surfaces as per Kamov designs. It would be cargo-configured in Cheshire paramilitary "government airline" colours, possibly with a small ground vehicle being deployed from it.

[Green Dragon]

Think I'll be able to join in with a Quad Tilt Rotor that I've been planning for a while using 1/72nd C-160's or C130's (or both combined) for the fuselage and 1/48th V-22's for the forward wings, engines & props. Can't find one of my V-22 kits so may have to learn mould making and resin casting!
BTW does anyone know which is the least accurate C-130 kit from the Airfix, Italeri or Esci ones? The worst one will get chopped up!

Was going to build the stalled Revell E-2C V/STOL COD that I retrieved from behind the computer desk but I've done the cockpit and the two Harrier engines so it would break the rules so it's out.

May do a V/STOL fighter using a Tornado F.3 too if the Quad goes okay.

Paul Harrison

[Thiel]

I think I'll do an A-37 turned helicopter.
I'll need to find a likely helicopter to donate the helicopter parts though. Any ideas?

[jcf]

I think I'll do an A-37 turned helicopter.
I'll need to find a likely helicopter to donate the helicopter parts though. Any ideas?

What about an A-37 tiltrotor with folding blades aka Trailrotor?. 


Bell modified Aurora model kit of the T-37.

[Thiel]

I think I'll do an A-37 turned helicopter.
I'll need to find a likely helicopter to donate the helicopter parts though. Any ideas?

What about an A-37 tiltrotor with folding blades aka Trailrotor?. 


Bell modified Aurora model kit of the T-37.

Hadn't thought of that. Definitely an option.
Hmm, maybe lift fans as seen in Avatar?

[Weaver]

Speaking of lift fans, may I respectfully draw the board's attention to Evil Mushroom's resin lift fans, which may prove particularly relevent to this GB:

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,28009.0/highlight,mushroom.html

[Weaver]

Potential projects (note sure I'll get time for any of them though):

1. Gerry Anderson universe RAVTOL interceptor.

RAVTOL = Rocket Assisted Vertical Take-Off and Landing....

Sounds interesting Harold, extra bonus points if you have it recovered using an equivalent of the "Skyhook" system....  

Nah, this is Gerry Anderson World, where ultra-precision touchdowns and docking always work perfectly and fuel lasts as long as it's dramatically neccessary. It may yet get a nicely quilted seat that elevates up through the cockpit floor in a clear tube.....

2. Westland Super-Belvedere.

Colour me intruiged.  

Well the Yak's "greenhouse" glazing is too distinctive and the Skycrane's cockpit is a pretty good fit height-wise and WILL take 1/72nd crew in no greater discomfort than a Belvedere. Putting a splice down the middle of the glazings to make it wider will be "interesting" though. The idea is that Westland exploits it's link with Sikorsky to develop the Belvedere which it inherits, and Sikorsky get a twin-rotor competitor for Vertol's products out of it.

[tigercat]

Fairey Swordfish based Autogiro

[Thiel]

Speaking of lift fans, may I respectfully draw the board's attention to Evil Mushroom's resin lift fans, which may prove particularly relevent to this GB:

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,28009.0/highlight,mushroom.html

Just ordered two sets. I'm not sure if I'm going to use them, but I'm sure they'll come in handy at some point.

[Cobra]

Hey Guys, Don't know I'll build it but, What about a VTOL version of the XB-70 Valkyrie? something to act as a 'Big Stick' to Back up the Spearhead Bomber from 'Stingray' think that would be something to Consider? thanks for Looking.Dan

[McColm]

I'll think I'll stick to something less scarery and go for a four turbo-prop engined Neptune or Convair King Fisher.
Using the spare wing/engine section from my Nimmet project the Shorts Sunderland could be turned into something along the lines of the Princess cancelled project.

[Rheged]

I'll think I'll stick to something less scarery and go for a four turbo-prop engined Neptune or Convair King Fisher.
Using the spare wing/engine section from my Nimmet project the Shorts Sunderland could be turned into something along the lines of the Princess cancelled project.

OOOOH!  Yes please!  I'd love to see something Princess like appear!

[Thorvic]

I'll think I'll stick to something less scarery and go for a four turbo-prop engined Neptune or Convair King Fisher.
Using the spare wing/engine section from my Nimmet project the Shorts Sunderland could be turned into something along the lines of the Princess cancelled project.

And how is this VTOL ?